Press Release: Ex-IBF 154-pound champion Jermall Charlo moved up to middleweight and dominated Jorge Sebastian Heiland at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on July 29th, flooring the Argentine southpaw with a right hand in round two before dropping him again with a left hook to gain a fourth-round TKO. The victory in the 160-pound title eliminator made Charlo (26-0, 20 KOs) the WBC mandatory challenger for one of the world titles held by world champion Gennady "GGG" Golovkin, who will defend his three major titles against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez next month.

“It’s a statement not just to Canelo and Triple G, but the whole division. I’m a young, hungry lion hunting down the best in the world. They can’t dodge me because I’ll chase and chase until I clean out the division.”

Charlo, 27, used his jab and movement to neutralize Heiland and gain his 18th stoppage win in his last 20 fights. It was the Houston resident’s first fight since gaining a fifth-round KO of previously unbeaten Julian Williams in December in his third and final 154-pound title defense.

While the 6-foot Charlo would prefer to fight the Golovkin-Alvarez winner next, he also welcomes a matchup against the winner of next month’s 160-pound title fight between WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders and Willie Monroe Jr.

“If Billy Joe Saunders or Willie Monroe are at the top of their game, I’ll go get them,” Charlo said. “None of them can beat me. I’m bigger, stronger, faster and here to fight anybody they say is the best.”

Charlo’s jab was a major weapon not only in his victories over Heiland and Williams, but also when he earned his 154-pound title with a third-round TKO of Cornelius Bundrage in September 2015 and then defended his championship for the first time with a fourth-round TKO of Wilky Campfort in November 2015.

“Jermall’s jab was an offensive and defensive weapon against Julian Williams, ‘K9’ Bundrage and ‘Silky’ Campfort,” said Charlo’s trainer, Ronnie Shields. “He dropped all three of them with a jab.”

Shields believes that Charlo’s potent jab and superior length would give him an advantage against either the 5-foot-10½ Golovkin or the 5-foot-9 Alvarez.

“Jermall’s long body helps to generate power like Tommy Hearns in his killer right hand, over the top or underneath,” Shields said. “We’re the mandatory, so we’ll wait and see, but I’m confident that Jermall beats Canelo or Triple G.”